DONATING CHILDREN’S BOOKS

In South Africa we have a pressing need to develop a national culture of reading. To fall in love with reading, children need access to books. Not just educational books, but books that stimulate their minds, entertain and delight them and stir their creativity and imagination. The easiest way to help is to donate books or support a literacy organisation.

Just over 50% of South African families own no books for recreational or leisure time reading.

It’s essential to publish and distribute books in the official languages. It’s also important for all children to become fluent in English so they can enter the global workplace. Once the wonderful world of books is opened up to a child you will give them a gift that lasts a lifetime.

Has your child outgrown his picture books or early readers? Donate your old children’s books to your local library, children’s hospital or shelter. Alternatively, donate your books to an organisation that will distribute them to schools and organisations in need.

LITERACY ORGANISATIONS

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BOOK TREE DOES NOT COLLECT OR DISTRIBUTE ANY BOOKS. WE PROVIDE A LIST OF COMPANIES WHO DO SO BELOW:

The Link Literacy Project are based in Johannesburg and they run reading classes every week at selected schools. They require primary school books.

Shine Literacy are a children’s literacy organisation based in Cape Town and Durban and there are many ways you can get involved. T: +27 (0) 21 762 4320or email: info@shineliteracy.org.za Durban: https://www.facebook.com/ShineDurban/

The Bookery are Cape Town based but they open children’s libraries around the country. Contact them for more info on +27 (0) 21 461 4189 or email: info@thebookery.org.za

Steve Biko Centre in King Williams Town. nomsad@srmholdings.com Their Johannesburg office will collect the books from you.

Comments

help2read is a developmental organisation founded in 2005 which uses a two pronged approach to social development in South Africa. It addresses child literacy by providing supplementary literacy tutoring in under resourced public primary schools through a largely volunteer workforce.

Hi Don
Thanks for contacting us. We don’t have any projects on the go at the moment but will be in touch if we do. In the meantime perhaps get in touch with your local library and ask if they require any help such as reading to children or setting up community libraries. It’s helpful if you explain what skills you have and what tasks you are able to help with.
Best of luck!

Hi, we would like to run a drive at work from now until March next year to collect books and then donate them to a worthy cause. Please let me know the procedure to be followed and how the hand over of the books will take place.
Many thanks,
Viki

Hi Viki
What a great initiative. There are two ways to to this. You could collect funds and donate these to http://www.bookdash.org and they will use the funds to print and distribute books to children in need. The books have been created for free by professional writers, illustrators, editors and designers. You can look at some of the books on their website.
You could collect books and either send them to a school or an adult library in your business area or contact one of the great organisations which co-ordinate book runs. You could try http://bookgivingday.com and ask them for a worthy recipient for next year’s International Book Giving Day or you can contact one of the agencies listed above this article, such as http://www.thelinkliteracyproject.co.za.
Let us know if you need further help and good luck.

Hi Viki
How is your book drive going? Keep us updated and you could donate them on Feb 14th as part of the International book Giving Day initiatives. http://bookgivingday.com IF you are still looking for organizations to donate to, consider The Link Literacy project as they work with many schools and community libraries. Shine Literacy also do amazing work. http://www.shineliteracy.org.za
Good luck!

Hi Chantelle
Please check our link for Book Donations for organisations which are looking for books. We love The Link Literacy project as they work with several schools in the Gauteng area. http://www.thelinkliteracyproject.co.za
Thanks so much for sharing!

Hi Tina
We don’t actually collect the books ourselves – please check our link for Book Donations for organisations which are looking for books. We love The Link Literacy project. http://www.thelinkliteracyproject.co.za
Thanks so much for sharing!

I am about 500 copies of a book I wrote and published in 2008 through Random House Struik. It is called Motherhood and Me and is a book that guides new mothers through the transition and challenges of motherhood. I would like to donate these books to libraries around South Africa, but I am not sure how to do that. Can you advise me please.

Hi Linda
This sounds wonderful. It might be a good idea to get some into clinics too. Try The IdealClinic programme run by the SA Dept of Health:
Head Office
Civitas Building, Cnr Thabo Sehume and Struben Streets, PRETORIA
Postal address: Private Bag X828, PRETORIA, 0001
Switchboard: 012 395 8000
Email: idealclinic@health.gov.za
Alternatively google the various Government Clinics in your area, such as https://www.westerncape.gov.za/directories/facilities/944

For libraries you can try http://thebookery.org.za/donate-books/ – they are focused on setting up and supporting functioning school libraries. Good luck and let us know if you need more help!
Love
The Book Tree

Hi. My name is Gugu Thumbu, i am a teacher libraria. Our school library is functioning but we don’t have enough books for learners, getting the learner involved in more reading will improve their literacy and performance. Our school (Sikhutsele Primary school )is based in mpumalanga -Nelspruit and is located in Barberton, it starts from grade R to grade 9, is a government non paying fee school. Please help me get books donation for our school library, thank you in advance. My contact number is 0824175699.

Hi Gugu
I have forwarded your request to a few individuals who may be able to help. Please also approach the organisations on the Donate page with your request. We will email you with any replies and advice. It sounds like you are doing a great job! Keep it up and keep us posted with your progress.

Hello, I have some tertiary textbooks to donate, they are brand new but have to be replaced this year by new editions. They would need to be collected from our Port Elizabeth campus. Please contact me if you know of any charities that would need these.

Hi,
We cleaned up a bit at home and have a bunch of textbooks, fiction and non-fiction books. Seemed like a shame to throw it away. Could you advise on a place that might be interested in receiving these books?
Regards,
Nathan

Hi Nathan
You don’t mention if they are children’s books – if so you may have a local school in your area that could benefit from the books or approach your local library as they may sell them to raise funds to keep running. Other than that any of the organisations on the Donate a Book Page will be happy for books.
Good luck!

Hi I am currently clearing out study materials/ books of my daughters, marketing & Accounting degrees, Unisa & UJ respectively, if anyone requires these materials to assist a student to progress & achieve their ” Goals” by donating these books.Please contact me on the abovementioned email address or advise if the books can be collected or dropped off within the Johannesburg (east rand) area.

There are two ladies i know from where i live, one is doing a mobile library of kids in Alexandra township and has reading sessions on Saturdays and one runs an after school project from or church in Alexandra. Should anyone wish to donate books or study materials for primary school kids may you kindly contact me.

Hi Tsholo
What a wonderful initiative! If anyone has PRIMARY SCHOOL books or study materials please help her out.
We will keep your details should anyone call with children’s books to donate.
Keep us posted.

I am looking for an organisation in the Pretoria/ Johannesburg area that is looking for second hand books, not children but mostly fiction, that is distributed to the underprivileged or elderly. I am happy to deliver them somewhere.

Hi Debbie
Organisations looking for second hand books in Pretoria and Johannesburg could either be your local library, old age homes or hospitals. They often hold book sales to raise much-needed funds. You can also try some of the organisations listed on our Donate page above.
Good luck!

We have started a book club in Soweto called Urban Astronauts Book Reading Club and we have over 25 high school learners in this project and we are in need of fictional, non fiction and Autobiography books. If anyone can assist us we will appreciate that. Thank you in advance
Contacts: 084 968 3251

Hello Urban Astronauts
We really love the name of your book club. Are you based at a school? We have a small parcel of books for you and will be in touch to organise collection. If anyone in the Book Tree community would like to donate to the Urban Astronauts please be in touch.
Happy reading!

Peace be unto you
I am a compulsive reader from a rural in Polokwane and I am establishing a reading club for children in my village. I have talked to parents and 5 of them volunteered to invest their time on the project and support children’s literacy. We hope to offer reading sessions to children from the age of 2-12. So far 20 children are interested in attending the reading sessions. Kindly please help us set up the book club. We have space in our local church but no resources such age appropriate books, book shelves, carpets, cushions, stationery and story props. Or please refer us to appropriate organisations. I have contacted some of the organisation on the list you have provided and I am still waiting for their response. My contact number is 0820562725. Kind regards

Hi Lillian
What a great initiative. We do not have books and resources ourselves so it is best to apply to the organisations listed, as you have. Our other suggestion is to approach businesses in your area for support and funding. Is there a school in Polokwane you could team up with that could maybe help you set up? Please let us know if you have any positive responses. Best of luck!

Hy my name is Precious. Im currently teaching at primary school in Mpumalanga. Our school is in a farm with no library. I’m currently looking for library books to start a little library for our learners and to assist our learners with reading. Even textbooks would be appriaciated.